Yesterday ended the group stage battles of the African Nations Cup. The championship in Equatorial Guinea lacked exciting matches.
In Group A, the Congolese footballers triumphed, earning 7 points. In the first match, they drew against the hosts, later defeating Gabon 1-0 and forcing Burkina Faso to surrender with a score of 2-1. Also advancing to the quarterfinals is the home team from Equatorial Guinea, who drew with Burkina Faso but in the last match managed to defeat Gabon with a score of 2-0.
In Group B, only one match ended in a draw, with Tunisia being the only team to achieve victory. The North African country defeated Zambia 2-1. The winners of the group drew 1-1 with the Congo DR and the Cape Verde Islands. The second spot in the next stage went to the Congo DR team with three draws. However, the goal difference is 1-1 for Cape Verde and 2-2 for the Congolese. A more effective game guarantees a place in the quarterfinals.
Group C had slightly fewer complications. Although it was called the group of death, the teams that advanced to the quarterfinals did so slightly easier than in other groups. Ghana took the first place with 6 points. They lost 1-2 to Senegal, then defeated Algeria 1-0 and forced South Africa to surrender with a score of 2-1. Algeria, also with 6 points, will continue to compete for the cup. They defeated South Africa 3-1 and Senegal 2-0.
Meanwhile, Group D is even more unpredictable than Group B. After two rounds, all teams had played to 1-1 results and had 2 points each. In the last match, Ivory Coast had the most luck, managing to break the series of draws and defeat Cameroon by a minimal score. The Ivorian team took first place, pushing the Cameroonians to fourth. However, Guinea and Mali also had a draw with a score of 1-1. This means that both countries have a goal difference of 3-3 and it is impossible to decide which team will advance using sports principles. Drawing of lots will be required.
Quarterfinal pairings:
Congo - Congo DR
Tunisia - Equatorial Guinea
Ghana - Guinea or Mali
Ivory Coast - Algeria
